Squad goals: Meet the WNBL26 import players

• The WNBL's new pre-season tournament, the Townsville Tip-Off, will run from September 26-28
• Every WNBL game to stream free on 9Now under new deal
• 2025-26 WNBL Team Lists and Roster Tracker

WNBL fans will have a chance to see eight new-look squads for the 2025-26 season when teams land in North Queensland for the inaugural Townsville Tip-Off this weekend.

We all know the importance of recruiting the right imports, look no further than Veronica Burton starring for Bendigo in their championship run last season and then becoming the 2025 WNBA Most Improved Player, and with a new crop of imports in the league for this season, all will be vital pieces of their respective team’s championship puzzle.

You’ll get a glimpse of many of the imports at the Tip-Off, so let’s dive into what you can expect to see from those signed so far.

Adelaide Lightning – Sania Feagin, Serena Sundell

At 22-years-old, Sania Feagin is a two-time NCAA Champion and arrives in Adelaide with all the tools to be a two-way force for the Lightning.

Feagin was selected 21st overall by the Los Angeles Sparks in the 2025 WNBA Draft and while she was played sparingly in her rookie season, she will be no doubt looking to use the WNBL season as a launching pad for her professional career.

A 2025 SEC All-Defensive Team member, Feagin made a name for herself as a member of the high-powered South Carolina program, and her athleticism will translate extremely well in the WNBL.

Fellow 2025 WNBA Draft pick, Serena Sundell is also set to line-up for Adelaide. Selected 25th overall by the Seattle Storm, Sundell was waived prior to the regular season, before signing with the Dallas Wings late in the season and playing in three games.

Sundell is a guard with great size (6’1”) that sees the game better than most and will be a great backcourt running partner to Dallas Loughridge. Sundell is capable of taking over games with her scoring or facilitating, and I remember her doing exactly that for Kansas State against Georgia Amoore and Kentucky in the second round of the NCAA Tournament earlier this year.

In one of the games of the tournament, Kansas State prevailed in overtime, 80-79, and Sundell played all 45 minutes, finishing with 19 points and 14 assists. In what turned out to be Amoore’s final college game, her potential game-winning floater bounced out as time expired.

Bendigo Spirit – Megan McConnell

The defending champion Spirit have done well to re-tool their roster after losing superstar guards Sami Whitcomb and Veronica Burton. They’ve added Opal Izzy Borlase and Australian returning college stars Kelsey Rees and Olivia Pollerd. On top of that, the signing of import Megan McConnell is another great step forward.

McConnell was a standout at Duquesne University before getting a taste of the WNBA with the Phoenix Mercury this season. Unfortunately, in her debut WNBA game, she sustained a knee injury, which saw her ruled out for the remainder of the season and she was subsequently waived. After rehabbing the injury, she arrives in Bendigo ready to play.

A do-it-all guard, McConnell’s passing – much like her brother TJ of the Indiana Pacers – is electric and don’t be surprised if she chalks up a triple-double at some point throughout the season.

Geelong Venom – Alissa Pili, Mackenzie Holmes

Geelong has rebranded and revamped the roster, highlighted by signing two imports with WNBA experience, Alissa Pili and Mackenzie Holmes.

Pili was drafted in the first round by the Minnesota Lynx last year, before being waived earlier this season and then signing with Los Angeles in August and playing the remainder of the season with the Sparks.

She will bring versatility to the Venom, playing alongside the likes of returning Geelong stars in Jaz Shelley, Gemma Potter and Alex Sharp.

Holmes’ start to her professional career has been riddled with injuries, but when healthy she has proven she is someone that can score the ball and will be a valuable addition to Geelong.

The forward was drafted by the Seattle Storm last year after an incredible college career at Indiana University, where she is the program’s all-time leading scorer. With Pili and Holmes joining the Venom, along with Shyla Heal – who will miss the start of the season due to a knee injury – it’s clear Geelong has made moves to strengthen their roster in year two.

Canberra Capitals – Kadi Sissoko, Nicole Munger

Nicole Munger may be an import, but she’s someone who has dominated the Australian basketball landscape for years now. Having conquered the NBL1 East over a number of years, including winning MVP honours, Munger is a staple at the Capitals too, where she is the ultimate heart and soul teammate.

You just know what you’re going to get from Munger, which includes doing all the dirty work and things that go beyond the box score. Heading into her fourth season with the Capitals, look for Munger to be her typical hard-working self.

Kadi Sissoko is going to be a problem in the WNBL. The French import will bring length and athleticism to Canberra’s frontcourt, alongside Opal squad members Zitina Aokuso and Sara Blicavs.

The Capitals have rebuilt around Jade Melbourne, and Sissoko is going to be a huge part of the rotation. Having played in the WNBA in 2023, when she played all 40 games for Phoenix, I get the feeling Sissoko is going to feast playing alongside Melbourne and her fast-paced gameplay.

Perth Lynx – Yemiyah Morris

Yemiyah Morris is a name WNBL fans will be familiar with. Having suited up for Sydney last season, Morris made an impact in limited playing time, averaging just 16 minutes per game. I think you’ll see her earn more minutes for Perth this season, and with that expect her production to rise too.

She’s a great rim protector and has a real defensive presence, which will cause even more headaches for opponents because if they get past elite perimeter defenders in Ally Wilson or Steph Gorman, they then have to deal with Morris in the paint.

Southside Melbourne Flyers – Makenna Marisa

Import Jas Dickey was set to return to the Flyers, the team she won the 2024 WNBL championship with, for the upcoming season but unfortunately, she has been ruled out after sustaining an ACL injury in early August playing for Keilor in the NBL1 South Finals.

Since then, the Flyers have signed American guard, Makenna Marisa, who should give Southside Melbourne plenty of offensive firepower. She’s someone who can catch fire and turn a game on its head.

Last season, she played in Hungary A Division and starred for David Kornel Basketball Academy, averaging 18.2 points, 5.1 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game. She produced a 32-point, 9-rebound playoff game against BEAC, hitting 6/11 from deep and Flyers fans should be excited for her potential alongside Maddy Rocci in the backcourt.

Sydney Flames – Grace Berger, Unique Thompson

Grace Berger has had a rollercoaster 2025 to say the least. After being waived by Indiana in February, she was then signed by Minnesota a few days later, before being waived just a couple of days prior to the regular season getting underway.

A month into the season, she was signed by Los Angeles, then waived a week later after playing one game. Three weeks later, she signed with Dallas, who waived her after two weeks, but then signed her for the rest of the season in mid-August. The WNBA is a crazy ride for those battling for roster spots and Berger’s 2025 season is the prime example of that.

Make no mistake though, she heads to the Flames as a guard capable of tearing the league apart. She’s a deadly three-point threat, and backcourts around the league are going to struggle containing the firepower Sydney possesses with Berger and Shaneice Swain running the show.

Unique Thompson has dominated the NBL1 over recent years and has earnt her WNBL chance. A big that possesses an inside presence that can match many frontcourt players in the league, Thompson isn’t afraid to battle for boards amongst the trees and the Flames have reinforced their frontcourt with the signings of Thompson and Keely Froling.

Townsville Fire – Lauren Cox and Lucy Olsen

Townsville fell at the final hurdle last season, and they’ve responded by bringing back nearly the entire rotation, plus two absolute superstars in import Lucy Olsen and Opal Miela Sowah. The Fire are going to be a handful and Olsen, alongside returning import Lauren Cox – who won WNBL Defensive Player of the Year last season – are going to be a huge reason why.

For mine, they are the best import duo in the league and perhaps the biggest challenge for coach Shannon Seebohm will be trying to spread the minutes across a team with incredible depth and star power.

Cox proved herself last season with the Fire, averaging 13.4 points, 7.7 rebounds and a ridiculous 2.9 blocks per game. Driving to the bucket and scoring with Cox in the paint is one of the toughest tasks in the league. Her presence alone makes opponents think twice about driving, and when you have elite perimeter defenders like Abbey Ellis and Courtney Woods in the first line of defence, scoring against this Fire squad is a nightmare.

Olsen joins the Fire after completing her rookie WNBA season with the Washington Mystics, playing alongside Jade Melbourne. Olsen played in 41 games, averaging 12 minutes of playing time and although her stats weren’t eye-catching (4 points per game), she had great flashes and held her own in the league.

In early July, she scored a career-high 19 points in just 17 minutes against Minnesota and she’s the type of player that can score in a variety of ways, not relying on her three-point shooting too heavily and because of that she’s able to contribute to her team in a positive way even if her long-range shot isn’t falling.

About the Author

Hayley Wildes is passionate about all things Australian women’s basketball and loves to highlight the stories of players from all levels and competitions across the globe. From our own backyard in the WNBL, to the WNBA and the Opals, and everything in between, Hayley has you covered.